01/17/2022
Our MLK Parade Grand Marshall. !!
Dante Swanson is a well respected athlete of the Wagoner Community. Not only did he go on to have various athletic achievements outside of Wagoner but also choose in December of 2016 to come back as assistant coach and eventually head coach in the basketball program. Former head basketball coach, Zach Ange, has been found saying about Swanson, “To be as good as he was as a player, he’s probably the most humble person you’ll ever meet. He’s very selfless.” Coach Swanson has had many achievements throughout his athletic career. He graduated from Wagoner High School in 1999 with a State Runner-up title from his senior season with the team. Swanson then went on to play for the University of Tulsa where he was a part of the NIT champions, NCAA Elite 8 and Sweet 16 Squads. He was Western Athletic Conference All-Defense team for two years and started 102 out of 105 games. Swanson continued his professional career in the Eurobasketball League from 2003-15 for Poland, Ukraine, and Turkey. The team won the Polish Basketball Cup in 2010 and he was awarded Most Valuable Player. On March 31, 2018 he was inducted into the Wagoner Athletic Hall of Fame. Being a coach is a way Swanson feels he has been able to share his wisdom and make an impact on others. He always tells his players “it’s bigger than basketball, always be thinking of the bigger picture.” He is working towards making responsible young men. Swanson has always felt from back in his high school time to present day that sports is a place for unifying all different kinds of people. When you’re with the team it’s not discrimmination or barriers, everyone is together. Swanson’s advice to the youth is “to find what you want to do in life and keep pushing until you get there. Just make them realistic goals.
